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Apple Watch SE

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Features
Battery life
Design
Apps
Connectivity
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User interface
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36 Verified Hands-On Reviews

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Expert reviews [36]

81
Total expert reviews: 36
  • with a score: 22
  • without a score: 14
Highest score by Creative Bloq
100
Average score based on 36 reviews
81
Lowest score by The Verge
70

Score distribution:

80-100
60-80
40-60
20-40
0-20
80
The Apple Watch SE is a great value smartwatch that offers all the best features of watchOS at a lower price point. While it doesn't offer any new features, it is a compelling fitness companion and the best extension of a phone onto a wrist of any smartwatch out there.
+ pros
  • High-value smartwatch with all the best watchOS perks at a great price.
  • Familiar design with curved edges, rounded aluminum chassis, and Digital Crown on the side.
  • Compelling fitness companion with a larger screen on which to track your workout and a lower-than-Watch-6 price.
  • Strong fitness capabilities with GPS, water resistance, and on-board sleep tracking.
  • Addition of the new Fitness Plus service from Apple is a strong proposition, and the experience with the new features is identical on the Watch 6 and the SE.
- cons
  • Lacks an always-on display.
  • Battery life is lacking, with a smartwatch that only lasts a day and a half.
  • Lacks the advanced heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring of the Watch 6.
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Expert consensus

The Apple Watch SE is a comprehensive fitness tracking device with heart rate monitoring, fall detection, noise monitoring, steps and general activity tracking, and a wide range of workouts, making it a great option for those who prioritize fitness tracking and health monitoring.

The Apple Watch SE is a comprehensive fitness tracking device that includes heart rate monitoring, fall detection, noise monitoring, steps and general activity tracking, and a wide range of workouts. It is particularly useful for outdoor workouts, as it has built-in GPS and is waterproof up to 50m.

The device runs on Apple's S5 chip, making it more future-proof than the Series 3. While it lacks some of the features of the more expensive Series 6, such as the always-on display, blood oxygen, and ECG features, it is still a great option for those looking for a comprehensive fitness tracking device.

The Apple Watch SE promises 18 hours of battery life on a charge, but in real-world testing, it can last longer than that. The actual battery life will depend on factors such as usage, GPS tracking, and whether or not you use sleep tracking. The Apple Watch SE has a familiar design with a square shape, rounded corners and edges, and a Digital Crown on the side.

It is made of 100% recycled aluminum, making it durable, lightweight, and environmentally friendly. The Apple Watch SE has a vast selection of apps available through the App Store, with developers creating wrist-sized versions of their smartphone apps. The watch is compatible with iPhones running iOS 14 or later and is not compatible with Android smartphones.

Overall, the Apple Watch SE is a great option for those who want a reliable and seamless connection between their watch and smartphone, especially for those who prioritize fitness tracking and health monitoring.

Features

The Apple Watch SE is a comprehensive fitness tracking device with heart rate monitoring, fall detection, noise monitoring, GPS, Siri integration, and a range of unique features, making it a great choice for anyone looking for a comprehensive fitness tracking device.

The Apple Watch SE is a comprehensive fitness tracking device that includes heart rate monitoring, fall detection, noise monitoring, steps and general activity tracking, and a wide range of workouts. It also has built-in GPS, Siri integration, and a range of unique features such as an OLED screen, customizable faces, and swappable bands.

The device runs on Apple's S5 chip, making it more future-proof than the Series 3. While it lacks some of the features of the more expensive Series 6, such as the always-on display, blood oxygen, and ECG features, it is still a great option for those looking for a comprehensive fitness tracking device.

It is particularly useful for outdoor workouts, as it has built-in GPS and is waterproof up to 50m. Overall, the Apple Watch SE is a great choice for anyone looking for a comprehensive fitness tracking device that also includes smart assistant integration and a range of unique features.

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Battery life

The Apple Watch SE can last longer than its promised 18 hours of battery life depending on usage, with factors such as GPS tracking and workout tracking affecting battery drain.

The Apple Watch SE promises 18 hours of battery life on a charge, but in real-world testing, it can last longer than that. The actual battery life will depend on factors such as usage, GPS tracking, and whether or not you use sleep tracking. It takes about 2. 5 hours to fully charge the Apple Watch SE from zero to 100%.

The Apple Watch SE has a low-power mode that limits the watch's sensors and turns off certain features to preserve battery life. Tracking workouts and outdoor walks can drain the battery faster on the Apple Watch SE. The battery life of the Apple Watch SE does vary depending on the type of activities or workouts being tracked.

The more active and longer the workouts are, the more it can drain the battery. If you track a GPS workout for 45-90 minutes every day, you may need to charge the battery each day, but if you don't use GPS tracking or exercise excessively, you can squeeze the battery life for up to two days. Sleep tracking uses around 10% of the battery, and if you do multiple workouts, it may drain slightly faster but you will generally still get a day and night with average-to-moderate use.

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Design

The Apple Watch SE has a familiar design, is made of 100% recycled aluminum, has a pin-sharp OLED display, and offers a variety of bands and straps, but lacks an always-on display mode.

The Apple Watch SE has a familiar design with a square shape, rounded corners and edges, and a Digital Crown on the side. It is made of 100% recycled aluminum, making it durable, lightweight, and environmentally friendly. The back cover is made of a nylon composite material that matches the aluminum case, contributing to the watch's lightness and comfort on the wrist.

The screen is a toughened glass that is generally good against scratching, but only the sapphire versions are nearly impossible to scratch. The display is pin-sharp OLED with vibrant colors and a resolution of 324x394 for the 40mm version and 368x448 for the 44mm version.

The watch has several types of bands or straps available, including silicone sport bands, woven nylon Sport loops, braided Solo loops, and leather or stainless steel straps. The choice of band or strap comes down to personal preference and style. The Apple Watch SE lacks an always-on display mode, which might be a deal-breaker for some people.

Overall, the Apple Watch SE is a comfortable and functional smartwatch that is suitable for everyday use, workouts, and outdoor activities.

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Apps

The Apple Watch SE has a vast selection of high-quality third-party apps available through the App Store, making it an excellent choice for those who want a smartwatch with a wide range of apps and customization options.

The Apple Watch SE has a vast selection of apps available through the App Store, with developers creating wrist-sized versions of their smartphone apps. The smartwatch has a dedicated phone app called Watch app, which is easy to use and offers plenty of customization options for the watch face, notifications, and other settings.

The watch app also allows you to download and install apps on the watch, manage your health data, and control various settings. The Apple Watch SE easily has the largest, highest-quality third-party selection of any wearable, with more than 20,000 apps available. Popular apps available on the Apple Watch SE include Starbucks, United, Spotify, CNN, and thousands of other apps from various genres.

The Apple Watch SE is an excellent choice for those who want a smartwatch with a wide range of apps and customization options.

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Connectivity

The Apple Watch SE has a simple and reliable process for connecting to iPhones, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, making it a great option for fitness tracking and health monitoring.

The Apple Watch SE has a simple and user-friendly process for connecting to a smartphone, with Wi-Fi connectivity as a standard feature. It also has Bluetooth headphone connectivity and the ability to stream music and podcasts directly from the watch.

The watch is compatible with iPhones running iOS 14 or later and is not compatible with Android smartphones. The connection between the Apple Watch SE and other devices is highly reliable, with smooth cellular connection and fast downloading of apps and streaming of music.

Overall, the Apple Watch SE is a great option for those who want a reliable and seamless connection between their watch and smartphone, especially for those who prioritize fitness tracking and health monitoring.

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Compatibility

The Apple Watch SE is compatible with iPhones and iPads running iOS 14 or later, making it a great choice for iPhone users who want a true extension of their phone on their wrist.

The Apple Watch SE is compatible with iPhones and iPads running iOS 14 or later, but not with Android or other non-Apple devices. It can be considered a true extension of your phone on your wrist, allowing you to control smart home devices, make and receive phone calls, look up directions, play music, and much more.

This makes it a great choice for iPhone users who want to stay connected and have quick access to important information and features without having to constantly pull out their phone. However, it may not be the best choice for those who use Android devices or prefer a standalone smartwatch that doesn't require a smartphone connection.

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Position in ranking

We maintain a monthly ranking that sums up expert recommendations for all smartwatches.

Rank Change Price Smartwatch
Reviewed
Android Authority
10Beasts
Trusted Reviews
Tom's Guide
Popular Science
PCMag
Ars Technica
Wareable
TechRadar
1
+2 Check price
Apple Watch Series 10
-
2
-
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
2
-1 Check price
Apple Watch Ultra 2
6
-
-
8
6
-
7
-
6
1
3
+2 $400
Google Pixel Watch 3
-
1
-
-
3
-
9
-
2
4
4
- $250
OnePlus Watch 2
5
5
-
3
-
-
10
-
-
5
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